Coal mining machine



Dec. l, 1936. J. F JOY 2,062,555

COAL MINING MACHINE Original Filed June 12, 1931 W 'L @E H f rr H m U n du N d N5- s w W [mi N QN, E @5%. l :j `x I lh n Il I d* P d k L@ wmwm' afi-207%@ Patented Dec. 1, 1936 UNITED STATES COAL MINING MACHINE Joseph F. Joy, Claremont, N. H., assignor to Sullivan Machinery Company, a corporation of Massachusetts Original application June 12, 1931, Serial No. 543,974. Divided and this application April 16, 1936, Serial No. 74,735

15 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved coal mining machine, and more particularly to improvements in the adjustable supporting structure and operating means for the kerf cutting mechanism of a coal mining machine.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved coal mining machine. Another object is to provide an improved adjustable supporting structure for the cutter blade of the kerf cutting mechanism of a coal mining machine. A further object is to provide improved means for operating the kerf cutter. A still further object is to provide improved kerf cutter driving means and improved means for feeding the kerf cutter during the cutting operation. Yet another object is to provide improved means for adjusting the elevation of the kerf cutter and improved tilting means for the kerf cutter. Other objects and advantages of the invention will, however, 2O hereinafter more fully appear.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 543,974, filed June 12, 1931.

In the accompanying drawing there is shown for purposes of illustration one form which the invention may assume in practice.

In the drawing:

The figure is a diagrammatic view illustrating in side elevation a coal mining machine constructed in accordance with the present invention iand operating to cut a vertical slot inthe coal face.

`In this illustrative embodiment of the invention there is shown a coal mining machine adapted for cutting both horizontal and vertical slots in a Coal face indicated at I, the horizontal slots indicated at 2 and a vertical slot at 3. 'Ihe mining machine comprises a portable base in the form of a frame 4 mounted on wheels 5 adapted to run along the mine floor, and mounted on the vframe are vertically adjustable swinging supporting members 6 on which is mounted cutting apparatus including a motor 'I adapted to operate, through encased gearing at 8, a driven sprocket 9 for an endless cutter chain I 0' of a kerf cutter II. The kerf cutter is carried by a head I2 .which is supported by the casing ofthe encased gearing at I3v for rotation upon a horizontal axis, so that the kerf cutter may be selectively Apositioned for cutting either the horizontal slots `2 or the vertical slots 3. The driving sprocket 9 4for the cutter chain is secured upon a transverse shaft at I4 journaled in the head I2 and operatively connected with the driven shaft of the gear- `ing'at I3, as is generally well known in the art. yFurther, as is also broadly known, the kerf cutter I I is mounted to swing about the shaft at I5 as an axis and provided with suitable manually operable means for adjustably swinging the same.

More specifically, as shown in the drawing, the frame has at its rear end an upstanding frame portion I6, and the swinging supporting members 6 are in the form of parallel arms pivotally mounted at their rearward ends on horizontal axes at Il on the upstanding frame portion I6, to swing in vertical planes relative to the base frame t. The parallel arms are pivotally connected at I8 on horizontal axes, to the cutting apparatus, and support the latter in horizontal positions. Pivotally mounted at I9 on the upstanding portion I6 of the base frame, on a horizontal axis parallel with and below the arm pivot axes, is a hydraulic jack 20, and the jack is pivotally connected at 2l tothe upper arm 6, and when the jack is operated the arms may be swung upwardly and downwardly about their pivots. Connected to the rear end of the cutting apparatus is a hydraulic jack 22, and this jack extends to a usual mine column 23 secured in position between the mine roof and mine floor. When the jack 22 is operated, the machine may be fed bodily over the mine floor toward and from the coal face I. Mounted on the base frame is a hydraulic jack 24 connected to the mountings for the rear wheels, so when the jack is operated the machine may be tilted about the axes of the forward wheels. v

.The mode of operation of the improved mining machine will be clearly apparent from the description given. When the cutter bar is in the vertical cutting position shown in the drawing, the arms 6 may be swung upwardly by the jack 20 to position the kerf cutter at the mine roof. The jack 22 may then be operated to move the machine bodily over the mine iioor to effect rectilinear` sumping of the kerf cutter intothe coal. The jack 20 may then be operated to swing the arms 6 downwardly about their pivots to move the kerf cutter tol cut the vertical slot 3. Of course, the arms, due to their parallel relation, always maintain the kerf cutter in the -horizontal position shown. After the downward swinging cut has been completed, the jack 22 may be operated to move the machine bodily rearwardly away from the coal face rectilinearly toI withdraw the kerf cutterfrom the coal. When the cutter head I2 has been rotated to move the kerf cutter into horizontal cutting position, the kerf cutter may be swung about its pivot, sumped within the coal, swung laterally in its plane, and thereafter lwithdrawn from the coal to make the horizontal slot 2, in the manner well understood by those skilled in the art. When the kerf cutter is in its horizontal cutting position, the arms may be swung about their pivots to move the kerf cutter through a series of horizontal cutting planes at different elevations relative to the base. The kerf cutter may be tilted with respect to the horizontal by suitably operating the tilting jack 24. Other uses and advantages of the improved mining machine, will be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art. v

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the construction and Voperation as well as the advantages of the present invention will be readily Iunderstood and appreciated by those skilled in the art. Minor changes are contemplated within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim as new is:

l. In a coal cutting machine, a portable base, an arm structure pivotally mounted on the rearward portion of said base to swing in a vertical direction relative thereto, said arm structure overlying the base, a cutter head mounted on the forward extremity of said arm structure for rotation about a horizontal axis in any position of said arm structure about its pivotal axis relative to said base, and a kerf cutter :carried by said rotatable head and rotatable therewith about the head axis into horizontal and vertical cutting positions. l

2. In a coal cutting machine, a portable base, a pair of parallel arms pivotally mounted on the rearward portion of said base to swing in a vertical direction relative thereto, said arms overlying said base, a cutter head mounted on the forward extremities of said parallel arms for rotation about a horizontal axis, and a kerf cutter carried by said cutter head and rotatable therewith about the head axis into horizontal and vertical cutting positions.

3. In a coal mining machine, a portable base having at its rear end an 'upstanding frame portion, parallel arms pivotally mounted on said upstanding frame portion to swing in a vertical direction relative to said base, and a horizontal, elongated, plane kerf cutter having an endless cutter chain mounted for circulation in a horizontal orbit about its margin and mounted at the forward extremities of said arms.

4. In a coal mining machine, a portable base, an arm structure pivotally mounted on the rearward portion of said base to swing in a Vertical direction relative thereto, said arm structure overlying said base, means extending between said base and arm structure for vertically swinging the latter, a kerf cutter mounted at the forward extremity of said arm structure, a support for said kerf cutter pivotally mounted on the outer extremity of said arm structure to swing relative thereto about an axis parallel with the pivotal axis of the arm structure, said arm str-ucture and cutter support being swingable about their pivotal axes to move said kerf cutter into parallel horizontal cutting planes, andY means connected to an extraneous abutment for bodily feeding the machine.

5. In a coal mining machine, a portable base, an arm structure' pivotally mounted on the rearward portion of said base to swing in a vertical direction relative thereto', said arm structure overlying said base, a cutter head'mounted on the forward extremity of said arm structure for rotation about a horizontal axis in any position 0f said. arm structure about its pivotal axis relative tol said base, a horizontal kerf cutter ce ried by said cutter head and rotatable therewith about the head axis into horizontal and vertical cutting positions, means for swinging said arm structure, and means for moving the base and arm structure bodily toward and from the coal face to effect rectilinear sumping and withdrawal movement of the kerf cutter.

6. In a coal mining machine, a portable base, an arm structure pivotally mounted on the rearward portion of said base to swing in a vertical direction relative thereto, said arm structure overlying said base, a cutter head mounted on the forward extremity of said arm structure for rotation about a horizontal axis, a horizontal kerf cutter carried by said cutter head and rotatable therewith about the head axis into horizontal and vertical cutting positions, means for swinging said arm structure, and means for moving the base and arm structure bodily toward and from the coal face to eiect rectilinear sumping and withdrawal movement of the kerf cutter, and means for tilting the base about a horizontal transverse axis to tilt the cutter blade with respect to the horizontal.

7. In a coal mining machine, a portable base, an arm structure pivotally mounted on the rearward portion of said base to swing in a vertical direction relative thereto, said arm structure overlying said base, a cutter head mounted on the forward extremity of said arm structure for rotation about a horizontal axis in any position of said arm structure about its pivotal axis relative to said base, and a kerf cutter carried by said cutter head and rotatable therewith about the head axis into horizontal and vertical cutting positions, said kerf cutter pivotally mounted on said cutter head to swing relative thereto.

8. In a coal mining machine, a portable base, a pair of parallel arms pivotally mounted on the rearward portion of said base to swing in a vertical direction relative thereto, said arms overlying said base, a cutter head mounted on the forward extremities of said arms for rotation about a horizontal axis in any position of said parallel arms about their pivotal axes relative to said base, and a kerf cutter carried by said cutter head for rotation therewith about the head axis into horizontal and vertical cutting positions, said kerf cutter pivotally mounted on said cutter head to swing relative thereto.

9. In combination, in a hydraulic control system for a coal mining machine, a coal cutting device, means for operating said coal cutting device, a hydraulic cylinder for horizontally moving said coal cutting device to feed the latter in an endwise direction, a hydraulic cylinder for vertically moving said coal cutting device to feed the latter in a vertical direction, and a hydraulic cylinder for tilting said coal cutting device about an axis transverse to its length into angularly related cutting planes.

10. In a mining machine, a base, a linkage mounted on said base in overlying relation thereon and adapted to swing upwardly relative to said base about a pivot located at the rear end of said base, kerf cutting devices supported on said linkage, means comprising a hydraulic cylinder for raising and lowering said linkage relative to said base to move said kerf cutting devices into cutting planes at diiierent elevations, and a power source on said base and drivlngly connected with said cutting devices.

' l1. In a mining machine, a base, a linkage mounted on said base in overlying relation there- ,75

on and adapted to swing upwardly relative to said base about a pivot located at the rear end of said base, cutting devices adapted to cut a vertical slot supported by said linkage, a power source on said base and drivingly connected with said cutting devices, and a hydraulic cylinder between said linkage and said base to feed said cutting devices in a vertical direction to cut a vertical slot.

12. In a mining machine, a base, an arm pivctally mounted at its rear end on the rearward portion of said base in overlying relation thereon, said arm swingable in a vertical direction relative to said base, a horizontal plane kerf cutter mounted on the forward extremity of said arm and projecting forwardly in advance of said base, said kerf cutter having cutters movable in a horizontal orbit about the margin of said kerf cutter, and means for swinging said arm vertically about its pivot relative to said base and for altering the angular relation between the kerf cutter and arm to move said kerf cutter into parallel horizontal planes at different elevations.

13. In a mining machine, a portable base, a parallel motion parallel arm structure pivotally mounted on the rearward portion of said base to swing in a vertical direction with respect thereto, said arm structure overlying said base, a cutter head mounted on the outer extremities of the parallel arms of said arm structure for rotation about a horizontal axis extending longitudinally of said base, said parallel arm structure always maintaining the head axis horizontal during swinging of the arms thereof about their pivotal axes relative to said base, and a kerf cutter carried by said cutter head and rotatable with said head about said head axis into horizontal and vertical cutting positions.

14. In a mining machine, a portable base, a parallel motion parallel arm structure pivotally mounted on the rearward portion of said base to swing `in a vertical direction with respect thereto, said arm structure overlying said base, a cutter head mounted on the outer extremities of the parallel arms of said arm structure for rotation about a horizontal axis extending longitudinally of said base, said parallel arm structure always maintaining the head axis horizontal during swinging of the arms thereof about their pivotal axes relative to said base, a kerf cutter carried by said cutter head and rotatable with said head about said head axis into horizontal and vertical cutting positions, and means for tilting the head axis with respect to the horizontal in any position of said cutter head relative to said base. y

15. In a mining machine, a portable base, a parallel motion parallel arm structure pivotally mounted on the rearward portion of said base to swing in a vertical direction with respect thereto, said arm structure overlying said base, a cutter head mounted on the outer extremities of the parallel arms of said arm structure for rotation about a horizontal axis extending longitudinally of said base, said parallel arm structure always maintaining the head axis horizontal during the swinging of the arms thereof about their pivotal axes relative to said base, a kerf cutter carried by said cutter head and rotatable With said head about said head axis into horizontal and vertical cutting positions, a hydraulic cylinder for feeding said base, a hydraulic cylinder forA vertically swinging said arm structure relative to said base, and a hydraulic cylinder for tilting the head axis with respect to the horizontal.

JOSEPH F. JOY.\

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,062,655. December l, 1956.

JOSEPH F. JOY.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, second column, line 24, claim 6, for "cutter blade" read ker" cutter; and that' the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the oase in the Patent Ofiee.

Signed and sealed this 14th day of September, A. D. 1937.

Henry Van Arsdale (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patente. 

